Southern California -- this just in

3 dead, 1 missing after sailboat disappears south of San Diego

Three people are dead and a fourth missing at sea after a mishap Saturday involving a 37-foot sailing boat near the Coronado Islands south of San Diego, the Coast Guard reported.

The vessel, called the Aegean, was participating in a race from Newport to Ensenada, Mexico, when it was reported missing shortly before noon.

Three bodies were found by midafternoon, one by a Coast Guard helicopter, and two by a civilian crew, in an area where debris was spotted, the Coast Guard said. The three bodies were brought to San Diego for examination by the medical examiner.

The Coast Guard, the Mexican navy and civilian vessels are searching for the fourth crew member. A cause of the incident is under investigation.

The Coronado Islands are four small, largely uninhabited islands about 15 miles south of San Diego and governed by the city of Tijuana.